Police Chief Robert Smythe said police received numerous calls reporting several shots fired in the area of Sixth and Walnut streets at about 11 p.m. Sunday night. While investigating the reports near Walnut Street Elementary School, officers were told that at least one bullet had entered a home about a block away.

“It went through a window, through a wall and over top of a crib and lodged in a humidifier,” Smythe said. “It’s probably less than 8 inches above a 3-year-old’s head. If he’d have been standing up, we’d probably have a murder.”

Investigators located five spent 9 mm shell casings on Walnut Street between Sixth and Fifth streets, and one round was located in the home in the 100 block of South Fifth Street. Several people reported seeing two men in dark clothing running along Walnut Street toward Fourth Street.

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This is the second report of shots fired in the area around Walnut Street Elementary school in 10 days, and this incident comes less than two weeks after a homicide at Fourth and Darby Terrace, the borough’s first of 2014.

“We just had a homicide,” Smythe said. “Now we have two incidents within 10 days both in the same area.”

A borough man, Jawine Sudler, was charged in that homicide last Wednesday after a vigorous investigation by Darby detectives.

Smythe said he is and his investigators are eager to find the people responsible and want the public’s help.

“We’re looking for anyone in the area last night at around 11 p.m.,” Smythe said. “Anyone who saw anybody that looked suspicious, please call.”

The chief said that officers were especially interested in any kind of home or business surveillance camera that may have recorded the area of Walnut Street between Sixth and Fourth streets.

Smythe said no one was injured during the shooting, but added that the parents of the little boy who was nearly struck are disturbed by the occurrence.

“They were very shaken up,” he said. “The mother was very beside herself, as you can imagine ... This could have been extremely serious.”

Extra officers were canvassing the 3rd Ward south of Main Street Monday evening, passing out fliers with details of the incident in hopes of gathering more information. Smythe said the department hoped to distribute 400 leaflets by knocking on doors in the neighborhoods.

“It’s serious,” Smythe said. “We have a child that could have been seriously injured. We really need the cooperation of the public to find out who these two guys are.”

He stressed that if anyone should encounter either of the two men, they should call the police immediately and not approach the suspects.

“Whoever they are, they’re out there and they’ve got a gun,” Smythe said. “Call us.”

No one was home Monday afternoon at the house struck by the stray bullet, but a neighbor on South Fifth Street said she heard about six or seven shots Sunday night at about 11 p.m. The neighbor said it wasn’t the first time she has heard gunfire in her neighborhood, but that it was not a common occurrence.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Darby police at 610-586-1100, or to dial 911.